Kuro...
Yawning, I woke up on the right side of the bed, or in this case a branch, welcomed by a magical view. The sun shined down through the hole made by the trees' leaves, birds chase each other in a playful way and the pond below glistens in the day. My view of this place has changed ever since the day we became part of Fairy Tail, back then it was just a view that I will soon forget, but now it's a sign of a great new day.
I jumped out of Aka's arm and popped out my wings then flew beside her. Shaking her softly, I tried to wake her up. It took a lot of attempts. The first and second tries, she only groaned, the third she accompanied it by turning to her side and the fourth was she tried to fan me away. Wow, she's really tired.
"Aka it's already late, time to wake up." I stated putting my paws on my side, but she just groaned once again.
I sighed and wondered what made her so tired. Looking back at the things we did yesterday, it suddenly hit that she was thrown into the air and plunged into water by a giant fish, no wonder she'd be tired.
"Hey Aka, wake up." even after realizing that, I still tried to wake her up.
"Nnnng, C'mon Kuro, just one more hour..." One more hour?! It's great that she finally answered but saying that...
"I'd let you rest more Aka but remember the last time you decided to sleep in?" I was pretaining to the time when Lucy and the others actually saw her naked, they came to the forest because they were worried, and all because we didn't come to the guild early.
Aka's eyes opened just a little and it showed a hint of irritation them she turned to with slightly pink cheeks "Y-you're right Kuro" she stuttered a little "Please do me a favor and tell them that I'd be arriving a little after noon." After noon?! I thought she'd sleep for only one hour more?! That's way more than one hour!
"I can't leave you alone!" I, absent-mindedly shouted back.
"Please Aka, it'll just take a few minutes!" Aka, without even sitting up, clasped her hands together and pleaded. "You can just came back immediately."
I definitely don't like the idea of leaving her alone, but I just can't say no to her.
"Fine." I answered letting my shoulders down in defeat. "But you better not go anywhere!" then I shouted "You should be on this branch when I come back!"
Aka giggled and showed me her rare smiles, saying "I will, I will... get back soon"
She turned around once again and, taking a peek, I could say that she's asleep. That was fast.
I just sighed once again and smiled a few seconds afterwards. Aka can finally relax now.
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"Aka and I decided to stop here later after lunch, I just flew by tell you guys" I told Natsu and the others once I arrived the guild. The group is awfully few today, Lucy, Erza and Gray aren't present, I wonder why? And in addition, Gajeel is with them along with Panther Lily.
"Why? Is she worn out from yesterday too?" Wendy asked.
"Too?" I pondered.
"Well Lucy's the same, while Erza and Gray used it as an excuse to do their own stuff." Natsu answered. Well that explains it.
"Oh I see" I just plainly uttered. "Well anyway, I have to leave now." I then turned around and started walking away.
"Wait little cat." but I was stopped by Gajeel. Not because he called out but because he called me 'little'. I turned around with such an irritated look. Just because we've been accepted in Fairy Tail doesn't mean I've lost my ability to scratch someone.
Feeling my inner intentions, Gajeel shuddered and took a step back.
"What?" I said strongly.
"Ah, eh... we have a few questions about Aka." Wendy placed both her hands in front of her while saying that in a nervous tone.
Hearing Aka's name, they got my full attention. Now, what more do they want to learn? They already found out about her powers, I couldn't think of anything else.
"What questions?" I surveyed deeper.
"You see," Natsu started "Wendy, Gajeel and I have one exact thing in common aside from you exceeds."
"Our dragons disappeared all at the exact date. July 7, x777. We're just wondering if the same had happened for Aka."
Their dragons disappeared? And they want to know if Aka's dragon disappeared too?
Come to think of it..
"I can't tell you..."
"Eh? Why? Is it another secret we have to pry out of you?" Happy said absent-mindedly.
"It isn't really like that... it's just that.." I couldn't say it.
"Just what?" Lily inquired further.
Come to think of it... "Aka has never, not even once, told me anything about her dragon."
The eyes of the six of them widened at my statement.
"You're kidding right?" Gajeel said taken aback. I just shook my head.
"Not even one word?" Wendy also couldn't believe what she heard, but I just shook my head to prove my statement.
"Then what do you guys usually talk about?" Natsu changed the question still hoping to get something out of me.
But unfortunately "Aka doesn't really like to talk. Her statemensts are very short and it usually doesn't contain any emotion. On missions she's silent, I'm the one who always starts the conversation when we arrive at our branch, and we only have short talks because Aka easily gets tired."
Such a long explanation came from me, containing mixed emotions like anger, sadness, irritation and bitterness. Why haven't we talked about such things?
The three dragon slayers just looked at each other and exchanged looks of pity. I know what they're thinking What kind of relationship do they have, not knowing anything about each other, that's just wrong..
Aka and I are great friends, the best of friends... just because I don't know who her Dragon was doesn't mean we're wrong...
"Seems like you guys have a lot to talk about, better get going" My head snapped upwards after what Gajeel had said. He brushed me off, turned around and started walking away.
"Aka has a lot of explaining to do. See ya later." Natsu also brushed me off and walked away too.
"Want me to come with you? I did plan to visit her earlier." Wendy then offered.
"We're coming too" "Aye sir!" Lily and Happy also joined in.
"You guys..." I thought they pitied me.
I thought they thought of me indifferently.
But I was wrong...
"Let's go Kuro." Charles grabbed my hand and smiled at me. Seeing that, I jus couldn't help but smile back.
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We got back to the forest... and my whole world just fell apart. The sight that welcomed us was a broken branch, the branch where Aka and I slept. A trail of blood was left and it ended at the pond. My heart went frantic. What the hell happened here?!
"Oh no..." Wendy gasped, while Charles, Happy and Lily were too terrified to speak.
That dark feeling rose up inside of me. Just when I finally thought of having a real talk with Aka- NO! Even if I knew nothing about her past, I wouldn't want this to happen! I knew I shouldn't have left her!
"Aka! AKA!" I shouted as I roamed around. Looking at my surroundings, observing it, trying to find a clue where she could've gone, but the only thing I saw was the trail of blood.
This scares me down to the core. A lot of morbid and gruesome thoughts came into my mind, each had a possibility of happening. I started to tremble.
"Kuro!" The four of them went to my side and tried to comfort me but I couldn't calm down. Losing Aka...
"She must be here somewhere... I'll go look for her!" Wendy immediately sprung into action, and surprisingly Charles let her. Is this how much they care about their members? They look for them even if we're not even that close? Tears started to fall from my eyes. I couldn't take it anymore... I really wanted to know what happened and if she was really alright. After seeing such a scene... of course you'd think of something horrible... and you can't rest until you know it's alright.
"We'll look for her too!" "Let's go Panther Lily!" The two male exceeds also flew away, in search for my lost friend while Charles stayed by my side still comforting me.
"Kuro, please stop crying..." she pleaded, "Aka will be okay... we'll find her." she said as she pulled me up, released her wings and offered me her hand.
Those dark thoughts still never left my mind... but a small light of hope appeared... making the chances of Aka being okay, though rather small, possible.
Charles and I searched east, Wendy went south, Happy and Lily covered North and west.
It was almost sunset and still no sign of her. My heart was starting to get anxious again, I snap my head to the right and turn it to the left so many times that my neck hurts... but I had to find Aka! I just have to!
"Aka! Aka, where are you?!" Charles shouted a meter away from me
"Aka! AKA! Aka please answer me!" I said as I flew up and down, left and right. All my effort must be given in this search... to find my very first and best friend.
Suddenly a rustle in the bushes catches our attention. Charles and I slowly approached it...
"K-Kuro? Charles?" and out came a hand... a very familiar hand that I was extremely happy to see.
"AKA!!" Both Charles and I gently pulled her out of the bush... but-
We couldn't help but gasp.
Her black clothing even showed the hint of red... her white sleeves were now completely white, and she looked extremely pale, accompanying that, she had countless slices and cuts all over her body, her dress was all tattered, , it could easily be ripped out of her. Her breathing was slow and her eyes were so lifeless...
This sight.... was more gruesome than I have had imagined.
"Charles, call the others, I'll bring her to the Guild!" I said as I grabbed her arm and laid it on top of me. Charles hesitantly nodded and left.
I could smell Aka's blood... It breaks my heart, but it also pushed my mind and gave me strength... I knew I had to bring Aka to the guild as fast as possible, so I shall!
Using my magic, I flew with my fastest speed, it'll only take me a minute or two just to get to the guild house... until then...
"Hang on Aka!"
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"A-Aka?!" "What happened?!" Immediately, as soon as I came in everyone reacted... The tears finally dried up but I lost all my strength after using such amount of magic... I collapsed along with Aka's body.
They all came to our aid, I was carried by Lucy, who finally came back, and Natsu carried Aka.
I was at the verge of passing out. The last scenes I saw were Wendy and the others bursting into the guild, hurrying to Aka's side and using her magic on her...
I hope she's already alright when I wake up.
Darkness then ate me.
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Author....
"Don't you think you over did it?" a violet-haired woman walked up to that white haired. He sat on a stone chair he made inside of a cave. He had this smile on as he enjoyed his trip down memory lane.
"You still have time to sleep?" he landed softly on the branch where Aka had slept. "You look so peaceful, I miss that face of yours-" he said leaning closer then grinning
"and how I made it suffer"
He jumped of the branch and made a gesture as if he was cutting something in one slice.
All suddenly the branch Aka was sleeping on was sliced off its tree. The sudden force woke up the girl, but not in time... she fell from a high peek. She landed on her back, the impact caused her to puke out blood and the pounding pain spread all over her body.
While she was rolling into a ball and squinting in pain on the ground, the white haired guy slowly went her way. When he was standing right next to her, Aka finally got the strength to look up... and she was shocked.
"Ryuu...?!"
The man smiled and pulled her by the collar. "Glad you remember me." he raised his fingers and made another cutting gesture.
A girl's scream echoes into the forest without no one to hear.
The man chuckled and laid back on his chair, looking amused and satisfied. "Oh c'mon Hibika..." he said trying to hold in a laugh.
"There's nothing too much when it come to torturing a monster."